Shrewsbury v Wycombe preview: All change – but Salop still expect a test
Wycombe Wanderers will present the same tough test as always this weekend according to Steve Cotterill – despite the departure of long-term boss Gareth Ainsworth.
Ainsworth arrived at Adams Park back in September 2012 and in his time at the club took them from the bottom of League Two to the Championship.
Now after 10-and-a-half years at the Wanderers’ helm, he has left the club to join Queens Park Rangers – where he was a hero as a player.
Matt Bloomfield has been appointed the Chairboys’ new boss ahead of their trip to the Montgomery Waters Meadow tomorrow – after five months away from the club at Colchester United.
And Cotterill believes, despite the change at the top at Wycombe, not much will be different in terms of what his side will face on Saturday.
He explained: “I mean, their team won’t change that much I imagine.
“Matt has not been there long enough to change anything dramatically, and why would he?
“They have been successful under Gareth for the last 10 years when you look at it.
“It’ll be good to meet Matt, but also sad not to see Gareth who I have known a long, long time.”
Cotterill and Ainsworth have come up against each other on the touchline a number of times in seasons gone by – and the Salop boss believes the former midfielder has more than earned his chance to test himself at the next level.
And he has backed him to succeed at Loftus Road.
He added: “I think that Gareth has had a few opportunities over the years after doing what he has done there.
“To be at a club for 10 years is an unbelievable achievement, and now he has the opportunity to go to QPR, a club where I am sure he will get the backing. I’ve known Gareth a long, long time and I wish him all the best at QPR, but we will be concentrating on ourselves, not any other ‘what if’ scenarios.”
Salop go into this weekend’s clash just five points behind Wycombe as they look to get back to winning ways following their defeat at Accrington Stanley last week.
Cotterill welcomed back two of his most consistent performers to his backline last week in the form of Tom Flanagan, who missed two games through suspension, and Matt Pennington, who was sidelined for three weeks with concussion. Cotterill explained the club couldn’t and wouldn’t rush back the latter back too soon.
He explained: “You can’t do it too soon with concussion.
“You can’t with the likes of Dan Udoh and George Nurse with cruciates, and with Matt we followed all the protocols we needed to.
“Tom ended up being suspended for two games, but I think a couple of those bookings could have been avoided and I have spoken to him about that. But we are here talking about punishments on yellow cards and yet we have certainly had red cards against us all season, and even one last week.”
